building blocks

When my older brother and I were younger, LEGOs were our thing. We would build fortresses, create tracks for our race cars, play with our little LEGO men; it was truly the most entertaining thing for us in our childhood. I always wondered why my mom never bought me barbies or kitchen sets, but whatever. I had fun and I’m all about gender neutrality for the kids. I digress.

Something I recently reflected on was how my brother and I would spend endless hours building these amazing constructions, only to break them down moments after. We would put in so much effort creating what our little minds were envisioning, but once we did, we’d tear it down to start over without hesitation or reluctance. I look back on that now and think, what a freaking waste of time; if I were to spend hours of my time investing into something, and someone else destroyed it let alone I destroyed it, I would be fuming. But I thought about it a little more and realized that having the ability to be torn down and embracing the persistence to be built back up is the beauty of living life as it presents itself. I’ve often been told to have a child-like faith and a child-like heart, and, ironically, as I get older, it becomes more of a pressing need for me. Children are simple-minded. If something dramatic or unwanted happens, its a few moments of sobbing and wailing before its just another thing of the past. They don’t think it’s the end of the world if plan A turns to the plan B, and they know how to fearlessly let go.

I’m someone who works fervently towards something and expects their to be a result. If I’m giving 110%, I expect the outcome to be a reflection of that, but the cold reality is that that’s not always going to be the case. Whether it be in the goals I set for myself, the relationships I build, the work I do, there will always be the potential that something is faulty causing what I have built for so long to come crumbling down. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and becoming bitter and resentful, I can use those moments of vulnerability to start over and build again. We may blame our shortcomings and think we failed, but sometimes its not our fault. Sometimes its just the way life goes. We are our own worst critic, and if anything, we are the ones who keep ourselves in muddled waters.

Starting over and having to build from scratch may seem absolutely dismal. The time and effort invested into whatever was damaged may seem like such a waste, but when you look at the glass half full, it could be the best thing that could have ever happened. If we never experience pain and we never want to lose things that could potentially be harmful just out of the convenience and comfort of holding on, we can never really experience joy. We could be missing out on something incredible, and we wouldn’t even know it. Next time you feel your world falling apart, embrace it. Take life for what it is and don’t be discouraged. Challenge yourself to build again. Whatever struggle you face in any particular moment is a gem in disguise. Make it count.